Vantika

Writing after a long time always makes me feel jittery and a bit clueless about “how to begin”. Nevertheless, I am back here and hopefully will again start contributing relevant stuff very soon. From April I had been away from the blog as many things happened and I couldn’t write even when I wanted to. But most changes that occurred were for good.

I am now working for the Technology Review magazine – a print, monthly magazine on innovation and emerging technology. The magazine is published by MIT Press in the US. I am working for its Indian edition.

One of the few good aspects of working for TR have been that I am getting to write more and know more about the latest happenings and innovations at Indian R&D labs. It’s exciting, really.

Last few months went by in covering some good technology innovations such as Soleckshaw – a solar electric rickshaw created by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi.

Cloud computing is the latest buzzword in the IT industry and therefore, it was obvious to write about how Indian companies are gearing up to compete in the new realm.

In July, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link – India’s first bridge to have been constructed in open sea conditions – was opened for public and became a national pride. I got some real good feedback on the article. The online version lacks the impressive photographs of the work that has gone into making the masterpiece. Must get a copy of the August issue to see and feel the magnitude of the mega structure.

But while these innovations are mostly about big companies doing big work in big cities, it was a heartening experience to write about Prakti, a small NGO working towards improving lives of women in rural India.

Prakti is based in a small town near Pondicherry. It is run by a small group of engineers and scientists – some foreign, some Indian – who have chosen to quit plum jobs and luxury living to utilize their knowledge into improving lives of people at the “bottom of the pyramid”. And this they do by living near their target users and get ready feedback to improve on the product. Prakti has recently created a range of fuel-efficient stoves which could help prevent rural women’s exposure to indoor pollution.

Writing about such innovations brings a nice feeling as one realizes how much is happening in small corners of India which we never get to know otherwise. Last few months have been full of this for me and I wish for more. But I shall again begin to write about English language soon. Brb!